SCPC Statement on Importance of Including LTC Pharmacies in COVID Relief Funding

DATE: April 7, 2021

Provider Relief Fund Must Not Overlook Long-Term Care Pharmacies

Washington, DC –In advance of the Department of Health and Human Services allocating assistance from the Provider Relief Fund, the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) today offered the following statement from SCPC President and CEO, Alan Rosenbloom:

As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determines Provider Relief Fund allocations in the coming weeks, the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) members are urging HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to include long-term care (LTC) pharmacies, which have not received any assistance since the start of the pandemic.

Residents and staff in America’s long-term care facilities have been one of the most devastatingly hit populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The LTC pharmacies that serve them are no exception. For more than a year, LTC pharmacies have provided uninterrupted care and access to prescription medications, including COVID-19 vaccines, to medically complex, vulnerable residents. This has come at a significant cost and LTC pharmacies need a lifeboat – to protect their own employees, as well as the health and wellbeing of the residents they serve.

Over the course of the past year, some LTC pharmacies have experienced a revenue decline up to 30%, with revenue losses remaining at 11% nationally, yet LTC pharmacies are still operating at 10% above pre-pandemic level costs due to the need for PPE, social distancing requirements, and new patient infection protocols.

Allocations from the Provider Relief Fund must include LTC pharmacies while continuing to provide additional funds to LTC facilities and other worthy providers. This will ensure LTC pharmacies are able to continue to provide essential patient care services that LTC residents deserve.

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The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) is the only national organization exclusively representing the interests of LTC pharmacies. Its members operate in all 50 states and serve 850,000 patients daily in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the country. Visit seniorcarepharmacies.org to learn more.